Mariners claim former 6th overall pick to work on untapped potential

The Mariners have claimed their second reliever off waivers this week by picking up Tyler Jay, who was with the Brewers last season.

Earlier this week, we wrote about the Seattle Mariners claiming the talented but injury-prone Hagen Danner off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. Well, executive vice president and general manager Justin Hollander has repeated the trick, this time claiming Tyler Jay off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.

As with Danner, Jay is expected to contend for a spot in the Mariners bullpen, and certainly there is plenty of intrigue surrounding the 2015 sixth overall draft pick. The question is whether or not the potential which saw him drafted so high, can be tapped into with enough success.

Jay only finally made his Major League debut last season, while as a member of the New York Mets. Combined with the Brewers, he made five appearances altogether and produced a 4.70 ERA, 3.95 FIP and 1.957 WHIP in 7.2 innings of action.

In fairness to the 30-year-old, his progress through the minors was compromised by injuries and health issues, including needing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. However, that he continued to persevere through the adversity to keep his Major League dream alive, speaks volumes about his mental fortitude.

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A decent showing last year in Triple-A

Last season saw Jay spend the majority of his year in Triple-A, where he racked up a combined 56.2 innings in Syracuse and Nashville. He recorded a 3.02 ERA and 1.182 WHIP in 36 appearances, going 5-1 in the process.

The southpaw’s scouting report prior to being drafted referenced him having two quality pitches good enough for the Majors, with a mid-90s fastball and late-breaking 88-92 mph slider. Now, it’s up to the Mariners to see if they can have success with him as their latest reliever project, a la potentially on the Paul Sewald-level.

Due to claiming Jay off waivers, the Mariners Major League, 40-man roster is now full at 40 players. We assume he is going to challenge fellow new addition Danner, for a spot in the front-end of the bullpen.

The Mariners bullpen was already considered one of the best in the Majors, after ranking ninth last season with a 3.71 ERA, fourth with a 1.17 WHIP, and second with a .215 batting average. However, they should be even better in 2025, with Matt Brash and Gregory Santos both expected to be back and healthy.

What is your take on the addition of Jay. Do you have confidence in the Mariners’ ability to have more success with their latest reclamation project for the bullpen? Let us know in the comments section below.